The Moroccan town drenched in blue

Perched in the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, the medieval village of Chefchaouen was once a place you drove through, not to. But then the women of the town had a – literally – bright idea to put it on the map. (Credit: Tiago Fernandez/Alamy)

Transforming the town

By painting the entire town medina blue, the townswomen transformed what had been a nondescript whistle stop on the old caravan route between Fez and Tangiers into one of the most unlikely – and successful – destinations in Morocco. (Credit: David Perry)

A new tradition

“The blue in Chefchaouen only started 20 years ago,” said local guide Abdeslam Mouden, who remembers the town once being predominately white. “Traditionally, only one area of the city was painted in blue, the old Jewish area. Now the whole old town is painted three times a year.” (Credit: David Perry)

Unanswered questions

No one is sure why this little mountain stronghold drenched itself in blue. Some say that it’s a spiritual colour for Muslims and Jews, while others believe it’s a tribute to the mountain spring that makes the settlement possible in a forbidding landscape. Still others say the colour blue keeps mosquitoes at bay. (Credit: David Perry)

Urban renewal

Not only did the women start this tradition, but they continue it to this day with teams of two or three painting late at night when the rest of Chefchaouen is asleep. There is little sign of their work the next day, aside from drying paint. (Credit: David Perry)

Done by hand

To walk through Chefchaouen is to see how high a painter can reach; the ground floor is meticulously hued, but above, it is often the original white or bare stone. (Credit: David Perry)

Helpful hints

Like most Moroccan medinas, the old city of Chefchaouen is a dizzying scribble of alleys. If you find a thoroughfare where the street itself is painted, it’s a sign you have come upon a derb, a lane that eventually leads to a dead end. (Credit: David Perry)

Shifting colours

As the sun moves across the sky, illuminating some parts of Chefchaouen while leaving others in shadow, the hue seems to change. In the plazas under direct sunlight, the colour is arctic or cornflower blue. (Credit: David Perry)

Sapphire city

But in the narrow side streets, these lighter shades turn sapphire, indigo and navy. (Credit: David Perry)

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